Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass

What's covered

How to use it

The pass runs for 4 consecutive days from a start day you choose. Put it through the automatic ticket gate yourself, or show it to the staff at stations without gates. It is a magnetic ticket, so don't fold it or keep it next to your phone, and a lost pass is not replaced.

Every seat on JR Hokkaido limited expresses is reserved, so get a free seat reservation before boarding: at a JR ticket counter, a reserved seat ticket machine, or online with JR-EAST Train Reservation. If the train is full, you can still stand in an ordinary car.

JR Hokkaido's own example: a round trip from Sapporo to Noboribetsu plus a round trip from Sapporo to Otaru costs ¥13,380 in regular fares. The pass costs ¥10,000 bought in advance, or ¥11,000 at the station.

Before you buy

Any non-Japanese passport holder can use the pass. Since 2025/04/01 you no longer need Temporary Visitor status. Show your own valid passport when you buy or collect it (a copy or residence card is not accepted), and carry it while you travel.

Buying in advance saves ¥1,000: get an exchange order from a travel agent outside Japan or book with JR-EAST Train Reservation, then collect the pass at a designated counter. In Hokkaido you can buy it only at New Chitose Airport, Sapporo and Noboribetsu stations, in cash (yen) or by credit card. From 2026/10/20, ticket machines with passport readers at Sapporo and New Chitose Airport stations can also sell and exchange passes.

You can't hold two of these passes with overlapping dates. Refunds are possible only before the start date or if the pass is unused, minus a 10% fee (¥560 if booked with JR-EAST Train Reservation). Delays and cancellations don't extend the pass.